Understand Me
by Writing Keeper
Summary: Sakura had a dream of a scene vaguely familar yet distant. Her parents killer comes after her and she's running. Who can help her? Maybe Itachi Uchiha? Summary sucks.Read the story, it's better. ItaSaku no like no read.
1. Chapter 1

**Understand Me **

**__****Disclaimer**: _I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I only own the story and the made up characters. Thank you. _

******Summary**: What if you learned that your soul had lived a previous life? What would you do? Sakura had a dream of a scene vaguely familar yet distant. Her parents killer comes after her and she's running. Who can help her? Maybe Itachi Uchiha? Summary sucks. Read story, it's good.

_**Note**_:

This used to be a Gakuen Alice fic but it didn't work out so I changed it to a ItaSaku fic. Hope you like it.

Chapter 1

* * *

_Far away from society, deep in the deep green forest, hidden beyond hidden stood a small brick house. Surrounded by dozens of flowers of all shapes and sizes the small brick house was an image of heaven. Butterflies fluttered around overwhelmed by the delicious scent of flowers. Sun light shined through loop holes above the trees creating an angelic scene. Living in such a godly house is a small woman with long pink silky hair and an astonishing shade of emerald green eyes. Her features were fragile and small yet she stood tall and perfect. Day and night she'll spend her times minding her own business and caring for the forest. Society knew nothing of her and she knew nothing of society. They past her by as she silently smiled and waved. They couldn't see her but she saw them. With a silent call, she wished for a place out. Yet the results were the same, no one heard her. Sadness clouded her eyes as invisible tears decorated her face. The same thought ran in her mind: when will I be able to leave? _

_Fearful of being trapped for eternity she called out for help every day, from dawn to sunset. No one answered her. Admitting defeat one day, she sat by her door to the brick house and stared at the trees above. The silence was deafening and murderous for she hears nothing but that each day._

"_Hey, why you sitting there?" a husky baritone voice called just beyond the flower bed. Shocked at hearing another voice she snapped her head forward. Staring straight at her was a tall muscular man with long black hair and crimson red eyes. He was the most stunning creature she'd seen for eternity. _

_He stared back with patience and a small smile. Dumb folded; she asked the one thing on her mind._

"_You can see me?" she asked with disbelief. This earned her a confused look as he scratches his head._

"_Of course I can, you're human right?" he asked back. Slowly she nodded her head and stood. Just when she was giving up, this man shows up and is able to talk to her. He can even see her! Happiness welled up in her heart as tears formed. Quietly it slid down her face and descended onto the porch. The god's answered her prayers! With a slow pace she walked across the flower bed towards the man who continued to stare at her curiously. Her pace quicken as she came closer. Soon she was walking a fast pace and standing in front of the man. Without thinking her hand reached towards the man. He stood and watched her every move. The closer she got the more her heart raced. Just as she was an inch away, static electricity stung her hand. Shocked and pained she pulled back and cradled her hand._

"_Oi! You ok!" the man tried to reach for her but the static shocked him as well. "Che! What is this, a barrier?" he examined it again by moving back and threw a rock at it. The static shock the rock and it exploded. Feeling the shock, the girl fell back and onto the flower bed. His eyes widen; he rushed to the barrier, careful to not touch it, to make sure she was ok._

"_I'm fine… yes it's a barrier, a time barrier to be precise." The young man looked at her shocked. She smiled a sad smile. "I've been calling out for help. Day and night, I sat and wished someone would actually hear me. I began to give up… thank you… thank you…" tears began to glisten down from her eyes as she cried. He shook his head. He felt it, the suffering she's in; trapped in a time barrier with no one but herself._

"_I'll get you out. I definitely will." The young man shouted. She looked up surprised at the young man. Did she hear what she thought she heard?_

"_You… mean it? You'll really get me… out? Really?" he nodded and asked for her to step back. Obliging, the girl took several steps back and watched as the young man took out his sword and walked several paces back as well. Placing the sword in front of his face, he closed his eyes and concentrated deep within himself. The air around the barrier quicken as she felt the pressure around the barrier tighten. A slight fear initiated in her; looking around, she noticed how the light was fading and darkness was taking over. Turning back to the young man she watched amazed as flames began to swirl around his sword. It gathered at the tip creating a small fire ball that increased in size. Backing up even more, she stared entranced as he opened those crimson eyes and raised his sword above his head._

"_Trust me." He spoke to her. They locked gazes for several seconds. She hesitated for a minute but soon nodded her head. Placing her hands on her heart, she bowed her head and closed her eyes. A small smile spread across the young man's face, she trusts him. His attention focused onto the fireball at the tip of his sword. With a war cry he swung it forward launching the fire in the girl's direction. Just as he swung the sword he called out._

"_Phoenix fire!' the fire ball shape shifted into a large phoenix and charged for the girl. It collided with the time barrier and pushed against it. Standing in position with his sword in both hands in front of him. He used all of his will power to push farther. The phoenix fought against the barrier's static electricity. Slowly and painfully, the barrier began to crack. Using more will power, the phoenix screeched and passed right through the barrier, breaking it apart. It flew past the girl and right through the other end of the barrier. It shattered like glass; with a soft breeze the fire phoenix settled down and disappeared._

_The air lessened in pressure as the light began to flow back in. Suddenly her ears were full of noises. She heard the noises of animals and chirps of birds. And the heavy breathing of the young man. Her eyes opened and soon she was fascinated by the sight around her. She's seen it many times but never with so many sounds. It was a new experience. Slowly, she observed everything around her. Deep heavy breathing caught her attention. Swiveling around she caught sight of the young man crouched down sweating. Worry took over; she ran to him and knelt down._

"_Sir, are you ok? Sir!" she tried to get a reaction. He raised a shaky hand to his forehead then laughed. "Sir? Why are you laughing? Did you injure yourself?" her worry multiplied. He shook his head and stood._

"_No, no… just a bit tired is all." He gave her a soft smile then looked around. A proud feeling set in. Suddenly he felt the need to gloat about his success. "Told ya I'll get rid of the barrier. I did such a perfect job too. You're not even scratched." She giggled then it dawned on her. His technique's fire. So why isn't she burning?_

"_Sir, why am I not burned?" she asked. He chuckled_

"_I have better control over the fire. It past right through you as if you were invisible." He explained. Before they can get any further, the ground shook violently. "What!" The girl's eyes widen once again as another thing dawned on her. She forgot all about the guy who trapped her in the time barrier._

"_Sir! Run! Please!" fearing for his life, she pushed him to get him running. He looked confused. Time ran out as someone dropped from the sky and clashed with the earth. Standing in front of them was a man with long grayish silver hair and a menacing look. He pointed at the two of them._

"_You." He spoke to the young man. "You've broken through my time barrier." The young man swallowed his fear. He raised his sword ready to fight. The man ignored him and turned to the girl "You broke the contract." The girl shrunk away from the man as he raised a hand. He slammed it down onto the ground; the two fell forward._

"_Please! Leave him alone! Please!" the girl crawled in front of the young man and shielded him with her body. The young man pulled on her shoulder but she shook it off. The man laughed._

"_No." he backhanded her. She flew several feet away. Weakened severely, she was only capable of lifting her head. Horror struck her as the man picked the young man up by the hair and raised his left hand. "Bye-bye"._

"_NOOO!" she screamed and all went black…_

"NOOO!" Sakura jumped up from where she slept by the rocks. Her heart thumped feverishly against her heart. Sweat plastered her face as she breathed in and out in a hyperventilating way. The dream felt so real. The feeling of loneliness, the feeling of trust, the feeling of fear; she felt it all deep down in her heart. With all her strength, Sakura clutched the clothing around her left chest.

"Sakura-chan! Are you ok?" Naruto came running from the tents. Reality hit her hard as she looked around. No longer was she in the dream. She was outside at the campsite. What was she doing there? Oh yeah, she was on guard while the others slept. Slowly, her breathing returned to normal and she whirled around to face Naruto with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a dream is all. You can go back to sleep. No one's attacking us." Sakura answered with the best laugh she can muster up. The dream shaken her right down to the core, she'll admit that but she wasn't going to admit that she's afraid of some dream. For all she knows, it might just be because of the mission. That's right; the mission was getting the best of her. That's why she's dreaming of such things. Naruto who didn't seem to pick up on her hostility, laughed and headed back to the tents.

Days Later –

Team 7 walked through the gates of Konoha refreshed and happy. The mission was over. Instantly the team walked into the Hokage tower and reported their success. Tsunade seemed happy with the report. She dismissed them early. Sakura smiled brightly with Naruto as the two decided to eat ramen at Ichiraku. Sasuke reluctantly went with them. It wasn't like he had any choice. The minute they walked out of the Hokage tower Naruto grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him towards Ichiraku.

"Welcome back, Naruto!" Ayame greeted Naruto as he dashed in with Sasuke behind. Sakura giggled and stepped in herself. She smiled at Ayame and her father.

"We're back, Ayame-chan, Teuchi-san." Teuchi looked up from the ramen he was cooking. Sakura sat down at a stool with Sasuke and Naruto beside her. As usual Naruto inhaled his ramen like his life depended on it and Sasuke poked at the ramen making sure it was edible. Seeing the two like that Sakura giggled as she remembered the very first time they became Team 7. They were so immature and stupid. No one would have guessed that they were at each other's throats when Team 7 first formed.

"How was the mission, Sakura-chan?" Ayame asked her. Sakura looked up from her bowl of ramen and smiled.

"It was ok. We survived none the less." She answered simply. Over the years she learned to answer simply without dragging in another conversation. Some people even say she's beginning to sound like Sasuke but she herself thinks that's not the case. She's not sounding like Sasuke. She's developing her own character. She's giving herself some type of personality besides that girly girl fan girl thing she had going on for years. It was getting too tiring.

"Yes, that is a good thing. Being a ninja seems like tough work. And you're always putting your life on the line. You sure you're going to keep doing it?" Teuchi asked from the back. Sakura grinned. He had to ask her that every time she visited.

"Of course, Teuchi-san. I promised didn't I?" Sakura became slightly dark as she answered his question. The room grew silent. Naruto stopped inhaling his bowls of ramen; Sasuke stopped poking his ramen; Ayame showed an expression of sadness. They all stopped everything and stared at Sakura who was quietly eating her ramen. Feeling slightly uncomfortable she looked up with an expression that screamed "what ya lookin' at?"

"Come on, it's nothing. I'm over it. So what? They died several years ago. It's nothing. Cheer up!" Sakura laughed and finished her ramen. With another cheerful smile she slapped some money on the counter and left. Everyone looked after her. They all felt the pain of sorrow for Sakura, especially Sasuke and Naruto. They knew the pain very well. The pain of not having parents is way too much. It creates a deep hole in your heart that will never mend. Nothing can fill that hole that's increasingly growing within the soul.

"Naruto… I know I asked this before, but what exactly happened?" Sasuke turned to Naruto who was looking at his bowl of ramen. He remained silent. "Naruto! I remember her parents being alive and well before I left! Tell me exactly why they're dead!" Sasuke demanded. He knew full well that Sakura's parents were dead but he never got the chance to ask why. Today was his chance; he's not leaving without an answer. Naruto sighed.

"When you left, we were only 13. Everything was fine besides the fact that we were going after you. We thought that we weren't going to lose any one else. We were terribly wrong. After two years, we all turned 15. Remember that time where Sakura and I came real close to bringing you back?" Sasuke nodded his head. He remembered. "It was during that mission that an unknown person attacked the village. He injured several people but his main objective was Sakura's parents. He viciously murdered them!" Naruto slammed his fists onto the table. His bowls of ramen shook slightly.

Sasuke took a look at Naruto. The blond looked vicious. His fangs were beginning to show and his eyes turned crimson red. A growl was rising. Sasuke placed a hand on his shoulders but it was swatted away.

"That mysterious person was after Sakura's parents. He made it real clear. That he wanted no one but them! When we got back, Sakura was informed of the incident. She went into shock. For weeks she sat at home in a daze. She wouldn't eat nor would she drink. All she did was sat and stared! That person made her suffer so much!" Naruto growled louder. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. _Who would want to go after Sakura's parents? They're not even ninjas._ Sasuke thought to himself. Then something hit him.

"Naruto! Did you guys investigate further into the matter?" He asked in a rushed manner. Naruto looked up shocked but nodded his head.

"Of course we did. We found nothing besides the fact that whoever it was was after Sakura's parents. This struck us as odd. They weren't ninjas or anyone of importance to the outside world. Why go after them?" Naruto answered.

"You said it was during when you guys came close to bringing me back. Which means… it's been… two years already." Sasuke mumbled.

"What you mumbling about, teme?" Naruto asked him.

"Hey, do you think this unknown person will attack again?" Sasuke asked him. Naruto gave him a weird look.

"Why?" he asked.

"Think of it this way. Sakura's parents weren't ninjas or anyone important to the world. Wouldn't it make sense that he was after Sakura?" Sasuke explained. Naruto looked at him, blinked, and he was off. Sasuke rushed after him but not without paying first. The two rushed around town looking for Sakura. They ran over rooftops and across the streets. There were no signs of her. Several hours later, they bent down covered in sweat and breathed deeply. _Where'd she go? _They thought.

"What are you two doing?" a sweet but quiet voice called from behind. Instantly the two guys swirled around. Standing before them was Sakura with a raised eyebrow. Naruto smiled happily and hugged her passionately.

"Oh Sakura! Thank god you're ok! Thank god you're ok!" he repeated. The girl looked disgusted and peeled the blond man off of her.

"Naruto, get off. Now, tell me what's going on?" She asked a second time. Sasuke took a deep breath and stood up tall.

"We think the mysterious guy who took your parents is going to come back for you." Sasuke observed her reaction carefully. She was well known for being emotionally unbalanced.

"…" Sakura said nothing. Naruto took this chance to step in.

"Sakura! We were debating over the incident and found out suspicious points. Your parents weren't ninjas or anyone that important for assassins to go after them! We think that person might be after you! He might come back for yo-!" Naruto went flying into a store busting their wall and shelves. Nearby shoppers stopped and looked before shaking their heads and walking on. Sasuke stared at the giant hole that Naruto created in the shop. He slowly turned towards Sakura who had her arm raised into a fist in the direction of Naruto. Her fist tightened before falling back against her side. She looked up.

"I thought I said it was ok. I'm over it. Don't butt in anymore than you all have already. Just leave me alone. How many times do I have to ask you for you to get it?" Sakura asked before walking in the direction of her house.

"Wait! Sakura! Sakura!" Naruto came dashing out from the store and chased after her. The girl turned and glared at him.

"Leave. Me. Alone!" she screamed deathly before teleporting instead of walking. Naruto stood staring into space. Sasuke walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulders. The blond looked down.

Sakura walked into her house defeated. The mere mention of her parents left her weak and vulnerable. Desperately she left Ichiraku and headed home hoping to get some peace. She almost reached home when she felt two very strong chakra signatures running towards her. Recognizing those signatures as Sasuke and Naruto, she jumped away from the road and hid among the trees. The two dashed right past her but ran back into town. They jumped onto rooftops and searched around. Her eyes narrowed as she wondered who they were looking for. Her question was answered when Naruto called her name loud and clear. Not wanting to be found, she followed them around for a while before deciding the game should end there.

The pink haired kunoichi walked into her kitchen and grabbed the water pitcher from the fridge. Pouring some water she drank it like it was alcohol. Memories of her parents flooded her mind. How she longed to see them. The pitcher lightens in weight as she downed it completely. Frustrated she threw it into the sink shattering it to pieces. A string of curses flew from her mouth as she eyed the now broken pitcher. _Great! Now I got to buy a new pitcher!_

"You shouldn't have done that." A greasy voice said from behind her. She turned around alarmed and gripped her kitchen counter.

"Who are you? How'd you get in!" she demanded instantly. Standing before her was a man with grayish silver hair with a black and silver skull mask covering his face. His dress code was a black long cape. He laughed.

"Who I am is none of your concern. All you need to know is," he paused then continued "you broke the contract." He finished. Sakura's eyes widen. Her control was lost. On instinct her hand released itself from the counter and flung forward. A kunai sore through the room heading for the masked figure. He laughed and knocked the kunai away with his cloak. Sakura grabbed another hidden kunai from under her kitchen counter and threw it at him. He laughed again and knocked that kunai away.

"You've got to do better than that." He said in the same greasy annoying voice. She growled and charged for him. His laugh taunted her ears, it slithered into her brain. Slowly the laughter circled her mind; growing louder and louder. Her feelings of irritation and frustration grew with the laughter. With slight ease the laughter was winning over her sanity. Furious more than ever, Sakura raised her right fist and attacked the masked figure head on. She threw punch after punch but none hit the mark. He laughed louder. Her frustration grew as she screamed and swung her fists towards him. He jumped out of the way and her fists broke through the window. Glass shattered under the impact, impaling itself into her hand. Blood oozed out of her cut hand. The pain was ignored as she pulled her hand out of the glass and turned.

The masked figure stood in the middle of her kitchen laughing. He raised a hand slowly. Sakura kept her eyes on him. He laughed once more before dropping cherry blossoms onto her kitchen floor.

"I suggest you run, Sakura. You of all people should know that I can't be stopped. Not even your two little friends can stop me." His voice echoed as he disappeared. Sakura stood extremely still and observed the area. He may have disappeared but she's not that trusting in that he was gone. Her eyes trailed the kitchen for anything abnormal. She released her chakra to search the house for any chakra signatures. Sweat raced down her forehead as she searched desperately hoping for the man to be gone. His laughter still remained in her mind, taunting and circling it. It echoed with each laugh. She grimaced and gripped her head breaking out of her stance. The laughter grew and grew. Her head pounded with pain. Her hands gripped her hair tightly as she listened to the laughter that circled her mind.

It grew louder and louder. Unable to hold back, Sakura screamed as loud as she can. Her eyes watered with tears and sweat raced down her entire body. Her legs gave out; unceremoniously she dropped onto the tiled floor. Her arms gave out as well. They fell to her side as her head rested against the wall. Tears continued to stream down her face. Her eyes remained wide open as she muttered whispered words.

For days and nights, Sakura sat under the window like a broken doll and repeated the same muttered words over and over. She hasn't moved an inch. No one has seen her ever since the incident at Ichiraku that made her excuse herself in a rude manner and then reject her friends' help.

Sasuke and Naruto began to worry about her. They tried calling her from her door but no one answered. They asked everyone in town but no one saw her for the last few days. Now the two stood outside her house debating whether they should break in. The last time they did that, the two hadn't been able to walk for days. Would they risk that? The debated for several more minutes before nodding. With ease they jumped onto her balcony and slid the glass door open. Quietly the two stepped into the pink kunoichi's house. It was peaceful and quiet. There was no sign of anyone being in the house. Sasuke looked around the room. There wasn't much except a desk, a small bed, and a couch. Naruto touched the bed. It was cold.

"She didn't sleep on it. It doesn't even look slept on." Naruto reported to Sasuke. The raven opened a closet door to find all her clothing inside with a couple of small boxes for her undergarments. Her shoes weren't in there. _She wasn't here at all. _He concluded. Naruto continued to examine the room to find no traces of her ever coming back into the room. He shook his head towards Sasuke. The raven sighed.

"Come on." Sasuke walked to what he assumed was the door to the hallway. He was right. The two stepped outside and looked left and right. Where was the staircase? Her house didn't seem so big from the outside. They chose left and checked every room to make sure that they didn't miss her. She wasn't in any of them. They ended up at a dead end with two doors facing each other. Sasuke looked at Naruto and Naruto looked at Sasuke. These two doors seemed suspicious for some reason. Cautiously the two opened one door. They entered into a room decorated with a marvelous drawing of a flower field on the walls. Several stuffed animals piled on the bed that was decorated in pink sakura flowered bedding. There was a brown desk against one wall and a window besides the bed. Next to the desk was a makeup table.

The two walked into the overly decorated room. They inspected the room. Naruto walked towards the desk and ran a finger over the table. Dust collected onto his finger and created a clean straight line on the desk. Sasuke did the same for the makeup table. He bent down and inspected the cosmetics on the table. _Covered in dust. _

"Sasuke…" Naruto called quietly to him. The raven turned around and spotted Naruto by the bed. He walked over and looked over the blonde's shoulder. Behind the bed stood a shelf with several things on it. But what caught Naruto's eye as well as Sasuke's was the official picture of Team 7 from their younger days. This room belongs to Sakura.

"If Sakura sleeps here then why is everything covered in dust? The bed is freezing cold. No one's slept in it for a while." Naruto felt the bed. Dust collected onto his hands. He swatted it away.

"There's only one explanation. Sakura doesn't sleep here. She sleeps in the room where we came in. But why? It's so far away from her own room." Sasuke answered. He turned and eyed the other door across the hall. He thought long and hard. _There's nothing wrong with this room… _He headed for the other door. Just as he was about to open the door his hand froze. Chakra was wrapped around his wrist and pulling on it. He recognized that chakra. He turned to see Sakura standing there.

"What are you doing?" her voice sounded dead. He shivered slightly. Naruto poked his head out of her room and smile brightly. He obviously hasn't caught on to her dead like mood yet.

"Sakura! We've been looking all over for you! Where've you been!" he ran up to her and hugged her tightly. No emotions showed as she grabbed him and dumped the blond onto the ground roughly. He looked shocked at her. She never thrown him like that. She always made sure she didn't harm him when she threw him. But this time she didn't even care. She just threw him!

"Sakura, what's going?" Sasuke demanded. "We haven't seen you for days. Explain yourself." Sasuke continued. Sakura pulled on the chakra string and Sasuke fell forward.

"Don't you dare enter that room." She turned to look at the open door to her room. Her fist tightened along with the chakra wrapping around Sasuke's wrist. He screamed in pain. Her chakra was crushing his wrist. "Why'd you enter that room? Who gave you permission to enter that room?" Sakura demanded. She pulled onto the chakra string. Sasuke flew forward but held his ground before crash landing on to the floor. The two boys studied her. Her clothing was a mess with wrinkles all over. A sure sign that she hasn't changed in days and they remember vaguely she was wearing the same outfit the last time they saw her.

"Sakura, are you sure you're ok? You seem…" Naruto paused for a better word. She was obviously off her rocker. The wrong word can get her to snap. "Not Sakura like…" The pink haired girl didn't pay attention to him. She tried pulling harder on the chakra string. The more she pulled the thinner the string became. Soon it snapped and she fell backwards slightly. Her expression didn't change one bit.

Once the chakra string snapped it caught Sasuke's and Naruto's attention. Sakura has roughly 97 percent chakra control. She would never allow herself to pull on it till it snapped. _This isn't Sakura._ They concluded. Thinking quick on his feet Sasuke performed a genjutsu using his sharingan. Slowly she swayed and collapsed onto the floor in a deep sleep.

"Something's off. We should bring her to baa-chan." Naruto spoke as he walked over and slung Sakura over his shoulder. Sasuke didn't say anything except open the window near them and they jumped out. (What's with ninjas and windows? -_-)

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!" Tsunade's scream rocketed around the entire Konoha. Standing before her is Sasuke and Naruto with a sleeping Sakura tied up and on a chair. Sasuke grunted as Naruto began explaining.

"We haven't seen her for days and were worried. We broke into her house in search of her. We found her in there but she was out of control. Sasuke had to put her to sleep using the sharingan." Naruto explained. Tsunade calmed down and walked towards Sakura. She bent down and looked at the girl in the face.

"Why didn't you come to me first?" Tsunade asked in a calm matter.

"We thought we could handle it. I mean… its Sakura. She wouldn't do anything to us."

"Tsunade-sama, I think it has something to do with the mysterious man that killed her parents. Naruto and I were talking about how he attacked someone like her parents who weren't ninjas or someone important. We concluded that he might be after her and will come back for her again." Sasuke explained. Naruto perked up.

"Yeah! Yeah! We went in search of her and found her on the streets. We warned her but she shrugged us off in a way unlike her. Then after that we didn't see her again till today. You should have seen her, baa-chan! She looked like the living dead!" Naruto quieted down instantly after his statement. Tsunade furrowed her eyebrows.

The room remained silent for a while. Tsunade continued to stare at Sakura's face. She watched as the girl furrowed her own eyebrows then opened her eyes. Sakura was awakening. Her emerald eyes looked around the Hokage tower. She seemed confused.

"Where am I? Why are you staring at me like that, Tsunade-sama?" She asked. Tsunade stood up and walked back to her chair. Sakura looked down and began struggling with the ropes. "Why am I tied up with amplifier ropes?" she asked another question.

"Sakura, how you feeling?" Tsunade asked. The pink haired kunoichi blinked.

"I'm fine, shishou." She answered.

"Sasuke and Naruto informed me that your parents' killer might be after you. In fact, you went missing for several days. The two idiots broke into your house in search of you. Instead of welcoming them you kind of attacked them. Mind explaining what's going on?" Tsunade asked her. Sakura gave her a confused look. She doesn't remember attacking Sasuke and Naruto but she remembers full well what happened the other day. The room remained silent for a while.

"Sakura! This is important! If that man is after your life than you will be in danger!" Tsunade screamed. Sakura opened her eyes wide. _That man that attacked me… must have been… Sasuke and Naruto were right. He is after me. But why? _

"Sakura! Answer my questions! You will be in grave danger if that man is after you! He came in unexpected last time and remained invisible before he killed your parents. He can do it again. We need to put you under protection before that happens!" Tsunade screamed at her. Sakura looked up. Her eyes were as hard as crystals.

"That man isn't coming back. I'm sure of it. Please release me, shishou. I'm quite uncomfortable." Sakura began struggling against the ropes. Tsunade shook her head and cut the ropes. Sakura stood up instantly and rubbed her hands.

"How can you be so sure? Maybe he's coming back right now!" Naruto exaggerated.

"I'm sure, Naruto. The man isn't coming back."

"Where's the proof that he's not coming back?" Sasuke asked. He didn't believe her one bit. He watched as she continued to rub her arms then smooth out her clothing and fix her appearance.

Sakura thought back to what the cloaked figure said before he disappeared. He told her to run because no one can help her. Her ninja sense told her that he was bluffing but something deep down knew that it wasn't a bluff. Naruto and Sasuke can't win against him. For some reason she already knows that that person is a dangerous man and not just **anyone** can stop him. That side of her told her to run from Konoha; away from all those precious to her, to keep them safe from harm's way.

A look down at herself confirmed her decisions. Without warning she stepped towards one of the windows in the Hokage's tower and opened it. She turned around and leaned against it. With one last look she burned their faces and everything she knows about the three figures into her mind.

"I'm sorry…" The three figures crashed to the floor trapped in a horrifying illusion. They looked peaceful on the outside but she knew they were suffering on the inside. Sakura lifted herself up and jumped out the window. She performed several hand signs and she was gone in a puff of smoke. No traces of her ever had been there besides the house full of her belongings.

Trees and grass passed by her vision in a fast pace. Sakura had been running in the opposite direction of Konoha for several hours now. It was already a safe distance to slow down but she didn't take any chances. There was no telling what Konoha ninjas can do. For the first time she felt like Sasuke; running away from her home village. The only difference between Sasuke then and her now as Sasuke ran for power. She ran for their safety. All her life, the village has protected her. It was time to protect the village. Repay what she owes it. She will not back down nor will she run. This is her fight and her fight alone.

_**It's my turn to protect you all. Sit and watch as I repay the kindness you've shown me all these years. **_

The gates to an unknown village began appearing in front of her. She looked beyond the gate to see the bridge she hasn't seen for so long, the bridge that the villagers named after Naruto. A small smile appeared in front of her. Why did she run this way? This village still has connections to Konoha. Quickly hiding behind some bushes she transformed herself to look like someone else. If she has to cross this village, she can't have people recognizing her. The transformation was completed leaving her with sky blue knee length braided hair, really dark tan and grey almost transparent eyes. Sakura even made a point to change her outfit as well. The upper top of her clothing changed into a coffee colored tank top and her bottom half became a pair of army pants and heeled boots.

"Good enough. I would never wear these so I should be fine. No one will recognize me." Her voice even became slightly deeper as well. Coming out of the bushes, the newly transformed Sakura walked past the bridge that gave her many memories. The town looked more lively and happier. Nobody turned to look at her or even acknowledge her existence. _Even better, I can walk through without anyone blocking my way. _Making sure to look relaxed and not in a hurry, Sakura walked through the town. She stopped every once in a while to look at merchandises to look like she was interested at least but didn't buy anything. It would be too risky.

"Miss, you're quite a stunning beauty! This would be perfect for you!" A seller held up a silk bathrobe. He tried to persuade her to try it on. Obviously no one wanted to buy from him.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm simply not interested." Sakura pushed him back gently and got on her way. This time she walked faster. There was a reason to now but slowed down when she was far away from him. As she walked and looked around, she didn't notice the man standing behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and turned around ready to strike at the person. To her surprise it was Akatsuki! He caught her hand stopping her attack. He raised his hat a bit giving her a look at his eyes. _Sharingan! Itachi!_ She hissed and tried to get away from him. _Just my luck to run into this guy!_

"Let go of my arm!" She whispered harshly.

"Come with me, Haruno Sakura. And keep silent." Her struggling ceased. He managed to see through her transformation even though she had an accuracy rate of 97 percent in chakra control. A slip in control shouldn't happen. As Itachi demanded, she kept silent and walked behind him. He led her to a restaurant. They went inside and were seated by a waiter.

"What would you two like this afternoon?" The waiter placed menus on their table. "May I interest you in ordering our all time famous barbecue spare ribs? They are absolutely fantastic!" The waiter smiled. Sakura declined the offer nicely.

"Order as you wish, Sakura, my treat." Itachi offered before turning to the waiter. "Shrimp and egg flavor udon is fine." They turned to Sakura. She frowned but turned to the waiter none the less.

"Pork ramen, please." She ordered. The waiter nodded his head.

"Any drinks?"

"Coffee" the two said together. The waiter smiled and walked off. Sakura gave Itachi a look. He had taken off his hat and placed it aside. His cloak was still on though. Tempted desperately she took a look around the restaurant. No one was staring. Which meant no one recognized him as Akatsuki.

"No one here has heard of Akatsuki. We haven't reached this village yet." Itachi answered her unasked question.

"Yet? Which means you're planning on it?" she asked. Itachi smirked. He was obviously impressed she caught on. "I'm not that stupid, Itachi."

"Indeed you aren't." A vein threatened to pop somewhere near her temple. This guy is beginning to piss her off. She leaned back as their coffee arrived being carried by the same waiter. His smile was starting to falter. He noticed the foul mood she was in and the calmness Itachi is giving off. He quickly left without saying anything.

"So? Why'd you bring me here? How'd you know it was me? If this is about Sasuke then I don't know shit." Sakura already began guessing why he brought her here and _offered to buy her lunch._

"You're disguise needs more work. You'll only be able to fool civilians and stupid ninjas." Itachi commented. The vein in her temple throbbed rapidly. Anger seeped into her. The aura around her darkened. The waiter returned with their food. Once again he left immediately he placed it down. Itachi picked up his chopsticks but didn't start eating. "Ever heard of Aloysius (ah-LOI-zee-uws)?" Sakura flinched at the name even though she never heard of it.

"No." Itachi chuckled.

"You don't know the name but you flinched. Do you have a feeling that you should know that name?" Her eyes widened slightly but remained the same. She caught herself before she showed him any emotions.

"So? What does this name have to do with anything? You're still not telling me what I'm doing here." She began eating her ramen. Itachi began as well.

"As I recall, you are currently running from someone, right?" Sakura stopped her eating and looked at him.

"What if I am?" She approached it cautiously. _Could he be working with that man? _She wondered. Instinctively her left hand reached towards her thigh where her pouch was hidden.

"Don't worry; I'm not with that man. In fact, Akatsuki wants to help you."

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A/N: thank you for reading Understand Me's first chapter. Hope to see you soon. Bye bye!

Reviews people! Reviews! I love reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

**Understand Me **

**__****Disclaimer**: _I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I only own the story and the made up characters. Thank you. _

******Summary**: What if you learned that your soul had lived a previous life? What would you do? Sakura had a dream of a scene vaguely familar yet distant. Her parents killer comes after her and she's running. Who can help her? Maybe Itachi Uchiha? Summary sucks. Read story, it's good.

_**Note**_:

This used to be a Gakuen Alice fic but it didn't work out so I changed it to a ItaSaku fic. Hope you like it.

Chapter 2

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Everything went silent the moment those words left his mouth. Sakura's hand froze where they were and she gave him a dumb look. _Did I hear him correctly?_ Itachi didn't give her a reassuring smile but she can see the smug look in that stoic face, which just pissed her off even more. Without thinking straight she slammed he fist on the table. The surface cracked.

"Don't you be messing with me, Uchiha Itachi! I'm not that small little girl that used to chase after Sasuke without a second thought." Instantly the entire restaurant went silent. She looked around and glared. Her mood isn't getting any better. Now she really feels like she's acting like Sasuke. Her glare sent the rest of the restaurant back to what they were doing.

"Haruno Sakura, I assure you that this is no fluke. We intend to help you." Itachi didn't lose his patience yet. _She's a vital point to this mission. Patience is needed._ Of course, this phrase ran through his head more than a thousand times to get registered.

"… I ain't convinced." She placed her chopsticks down after she finished her meal then stood. "Thank you for the meal but I have an entire village to hide from." And she began to walk.

"We can provide protection and a hiding area for you." Itachi spoke in a normal voice but was sure she heard. Sakura stopped her footsteps. The calculations ran through her head. All the possibilities flew through as well. Her choices were limited. If she went by herself she can run for about several years but she'll gradually slow down and get caught. However if she went with Akatsuki she would most likely last more than several years before getting found and branded an S-class criminal. Besides, Akatsuki were a group of elite ninjas. If she played her cards right she can get some info on them. That way when she decides to return to Konoha she has something to offer for her life.

An emotionless chuckle left her lips. Her choices were really limited. A cold smile spread and she turned back around.

"Ok, you've got yourself a deal. I'll come with you and in return I want protection and shelter." Itachi stood from his seat and placed money on the table before slipping an arm around her shoulders.

"Keep close Sakura. We're going to get out of this town." He spoke with a hint of happiness? She stared at him. Once again her ears must be deceiving her. Then she looked at his hand.

"What does that have to do with you placing your arm on my shoulders?" she dared. Itachi chuckled.

"People in this town don't know Akatsuki but there are several people who know you." Was all he offered, Sakura smirked but walked none the less.

"In other words, the Hokage has sent out a search party and they could possibly be in this town looking for me. If I don't want suspicion drawn to me I should pretend to be a couple with you." The words sounded strange yet familiar to her. She actually didn't mind playing couple with Uchiha Itachi… What was the world coming to?

"Hn," That earned him a chuckle and a teasing look from the kunoichi.

"How very Sasuke of you," she whispered to him. Itachi grumbled in annoyance. He obviously didn't like to be bundled up with Sasuke. A smirk hid itself on Sakura's face as she gripped onto Itachi's shirt and smiled sweetly up at him.

"I'll give you a little insight on Sasuke, Itachi, _dear_," she herself flinched and felt a cold chill run through her for saying that word. _I'll never say it again after this stupid charade._ Itachi grumbled once more but showed not discomfort for how she phrased her sentence. "Your _little_ _brother_ is doing quite great. In fact, he's getting chummy with a certain_ blond_." The smirk was apparent now that she got a reaction. Instantly Itachi snapped his head down and gave her a small curious glare.

"That's right, _dear_, he and the blond…" Sakura was having fun with this.

"Are you messing with me, _honey_?" Itachi gripped her shoulders. Her eyes widened visibly at the word "honey". Unable to help herself she stopped walking and clutched his shirt tightly and laughed out loud. Itachi stopped with her and raised an eyebrow at her sudden display of laughter. Several other people looked as they walked past but other than that no one was too interested in the couple.

"I-I can't be-believe you-you just s-said that!" she stumbled across her words as the laughter took control. Itachi loosened his grip and slipped his arm around her waist. Without warning he dragged her closer to him, so close people could mistake them for kissing on the streets with Itachi's cloak's collar blocking half of their face and all. Instantly her laughing ceased and she glared.

"I warn you here and now, Haruno Sakura," his whisper was harsh, "I'm not a very patient person." Her glare didn't do any good. Instead she settled for the weird feeling of **not** being intimidated by the infamous Uchiha Itachi. It was like she wasn't scared of him at all. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered why she was able to laugh and act as if she was really a couple with Itachi. It was quite a strange feeling but the feeling of safety and security when the man is clearly threatening her is more alien.

_Am I going mental? _She wondered vaguely before placing her hands on his shoulders and a small smile appeared on her face. It was obvious she's beginning to enjoy this game she calls "push Itachi's buttons and see if he'll explode like a normal person".

"Are you threatening me now, Itachi? Cause I was under the impression that lovers don't threaten each other." Itachi grip tightened on her waist but none the less he let her go. She smiled up at him and smoothed his cloak for imaginary dust. He grunted and slid his arm around her shoulders and they resumed walking. As they walked past a certain shop a voice stopped them

"My, what a loving couple, care for a small fortune?" the voice was greasy and groggy, like a clacking old witch. They turned to see a small figure hunched over a counted in the shop and wore a small hoodie that did his face and figure no justice. The figure pointed a long boney finger their way and it glowed with a bright yellow light. The two became alarmed.

"Don't be alarmed, I will not harm you. This finger merely allows me to look into your future." At the mention of future Sakura's eyes narrowed and she produced a sigh. This guy was obviously looking for customers and resorted to acting. "I see many things in your future. There are ups and downs. You will face the hardships of family and friends. People will oppose to your relationship and you, young lady, will force to choose." This almost sent Sakura laughing. This man was busted, Itachi and Sakura isn't even a real couple. They were just pretending to be one. There was no relationship and there never will be. But feeling happy and silly suddenly she played along. Detaching herself from Itachi who reached out to grab her but she evaded his grab and turned back to him with a smile.

"We're playing a couple. Couples love to play these things." She whispered and walked into the shop with a smile. She stood in front of the man and looked at him. The man looked back. She heard soft footsteps as Itachi followed her in and stood behind her. He glared at the small man.

"Really, what do I have to choose between?" she asked. The sarcasm was too great to be hidden. The small man chuckled and then cackled softly before raising his finger and pressed it gently against Sakura's hand. She retracted her hand but he grabbed it. Instantly Itachi's hand was on his wrist and threatening.

"Don't worry, I am only checking into her future." He spoke with calmness, too much calmness for a normal villager looking for money. However Itachi took his hands off the man and the man's finger glowed. The glow subsided and he released her only to jump off the counter and head around the shop looking for something. Soon he came back with a small doll hanging from a chain. The doll was obviously porcelain. But she never saw such a small porcelain doll. It looked like a key chain. He handed it over to her. She looked at it closely. It was obviously a female doll. It was dressed in a white sun dress with flowing white hair and eyes that were closed. Over all there was no color to the doll.

"What is this supposed to be?" Sakura asked the small man who miraculously jumped back onto the counter. "What about that choice I was supposed to make in the future?" Sakura was getting curious now. Itachi sighed.

"We don't have much time," he spoke up. She swatted at him.

"Oh hush, I'm curious about it." The small man looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Oh no, my dear, don't be curious. Be wise and truthful. I can't tell you of the choice you'll have to make. That is for you to find out. However I can give you this charm. It is a charm of the soul." He gestured at the colorless doll. Sakura raised it up and gave him the "this?" look. He nodded. "That doll is colorless for the soul has not awakened. The time to choose the ultimate choice is not here. When the time comes the doll shall lead the way." He waved his hand across the doll that Sakura held.

"Ummm…." She looked at Itachi then back at the doll. _Should I refuse the doll? Or should I buy it?_ She thought. The small man laughed.

"The doll and the reading are free. Seeing you are my first customer in a long time." He ushered them towards the doll as if they're going to insist on paying. "On your way you two go. I wish you the best of luck." With that he returned to his post at the counter and paid them no attention. Not sure what to do she tucked the doll away in a safe place and wrapped an arm around Itachi's arm. She pulled him ahead.

"Come on." She simply said. Itachi followed her towards the other side of the village. They walked for an hour more before the village's exit appeared. They were eager to leave but kept their steady pace. Once they made it out of the gates they broke into the trees and jumped from branch to branch. No longer were they attached to the hip. The distance was obvious between them and neither spoke a single word.

For how long they have been running she didn't know. But what she knew was that Itachi was keeping his pace at hers. He was slowing down for her. That was strange since according to her analysis of him in Konoha, he's a ruthless and uncaring man. There was no one who could move that stone heart. Was their information wrong or was this man just too good at acting?

Soon Itachi came to a stop and jumped down from the tree he was standing on. Following his lead, she landed in the middle of the forest. There was nothing there. She looked around. Then she raised an eyebrow. She looked forward, then behind her, then forward again. A really strained smile appeared.

"What kind of illusion is that?" she asked as she observed the forest. The paths in front of her and behind her were similar. The trees weren't lined up with the same pattern but she recognized the markings on the trees even though they have been shuffled around. It was obviously the same path.

"An illusion to keep intruders out," Itachi whispered "kai" and the scenery in front of them swirled and changed. A cave popped up with a gate covering it. Sakura jumped back un-ninja-like. Itachi snickered.

"Glad I humor you." She shot back. Itachi opened the gate and led her inside. It was dark and their footsteps echoed against the cave's floor. "I can't believe the Akatsuki lives in a cave…" she kicked a small rock and watched it bounce its way across the cave floor. Then it made a weird noise, as if it landed on marble…

"What?" she questioned then looked on stunned. Staring back at her was a giant glamorous house attached to the cave. The floor was made of marble and there was a long staircase leading upward. "I stand corrected." She whispered.

"This way, Haruno," Itachi grabbed her arm and tugged her up the stairs. He opened a door and stepped inside. An annoying yellow blob attacked Itachi.

"Itachi-san! You're back, un!" an equally annoying voice shouted in his ear. He pushed the man away and glared.

"Deidara, meet Haruno Sakura," He gestured at Sakura. "Haruno Sakura; Deidara." Deidara looked at Sakura and Sakura looked at Deidara. _Is he related to Ino?_ She wondered.

"She's not that pink haired brat." Deidara stated plainly. Her eyes shot wide open and she stomped on his foot.

"I ain't a pink haired brat!" she screamed at him then smirked. "I didn't think Deidara was a girl. I always thought you were a man… guess I stand correct again." That got him going. She knew full well he was a guy. He grabbed her still blue hair and tugged. At the last minute she released the genjutsu and her hair slipped away from his grasp as it shortens back to her shoulder length pink hair. He gasped.

"She is that pink haired brat!" Deidara shouted as he backed up in dramatic effect. Her eye twitched and a vein threatened to pop somewhere.

"Shut up. Enough, Deidara." Itachi moved in between them. Deidara huffed but sat down at the couch none the less. Taking this time to look around Sakura noticed they were in a living room. There was a TV. And several couches with a large coffee table in the middle of the couches. On the coffee table were three cups of coffee indicating there were others in the room. Deidara picked up the yellow one and sipped his coffee. Itachi sat down farther away from the man and patted the seat next to him.

"Haruno, sit." He spoke the words as of a command. She crossed her arms.

"I thought we were through with playing lovers." She stood her grounds. Itachi glared at her. Deidara looked from him to her.

"You guys played lovers?" his eyes went wide. "Why?" he asked obviously intrigued. Itachi turned to him with the glare.

"She trudged into a village full of Konoha ninjas and I had to get her out of there. Lovers seemed like a reasonable cover." He answered. Deidara nodded his head.

"True, true, no one from Konoha would have dared guess Haruno Sakura with Uchiha Itachi." Deidara sipped his coffee again. Itachi turned back to Sakura.

"Sit." He ordered again. Testing his patience she sat down at the couch next to hers, which happened to be the farthest away from him. He glared deeply at her. "Haruno!" his voice raised an octave.

"You said, sit." She pointed out. He sighed. Then she remembered exactly why she was here. "Ok, now that we're here can you tell me why does Akatsuki _want_ to help me?" Deidara placed his cup of coffee down and looked at Itachi.

"You didn't tell her?" he asked.

"…"

"I thought you would have told her by now."

"Tell me what?"

"That the man hunting you is the man we're currently after."

"Why are you after him?" she asked.

"There's only one reason why Akatsuki hunts after someone… well two actually." Deidara counted on his fingers. Sakura arched her eyebrow. _This man's IQ has a serious problem I think._ Itachi cleared his throat and looked at her in the eye. His gaze was so intense she shivered slightly. If she didn't know better she would have thought he was seducing her into something.

"I'm sure you remember me telling you of the name, Aloysius." She once again flinched but nodded. "And like I said, even though you don't recognize the name you still flinch. It's because that's the name of the man who's hunting you."

"What?" She had to grip onto the sofa to keep from flinging forward. This was the very first information she has had about that man for years. And she can't believe it's coming from Uchiha Itachi. She took a deep breath and cleared her thoughts before starting again. "Ok… what does that have to do with anything? Why do I flinch at the name?" She asked.

"It's because-!"

"You don't need to know that yet." Itachi interrupted Deidara's speech. The blond man frowned at him but a glare silenced the rest of his words. Sakura gave Itachi the "oh yeah?" look but let it go. She had to play her cards right if she wants more information.

"Fine then, I'll leave that alone for now. However I want to know how come you guys know his name when Konoha can't even get a single scrape on this guy." Itachi chuckled at her comment.

"Obviously, you think lowly of Akatsuki." Itachi leaned his head on his arm that's perched up on the sofa.

"Yes, yes I do." She stated bluntly.

"You're quite blunt." Deidara smiled at her. She turned to him.

"And you're annoying." The man shrunk back into his coffee and remained silent.

"Akatsuki is not a lowly organization that spends its days sitting around a table and plotting world domination." Itachi smirked. Her face blushed. _How did he know I've been picturing them like that? _"We are a full blown organization that takes on missions and information like a real village is. The only difference is we don't follow by moral rules. Instead we use better resources."

"Right, interrogation in your term means torture, starvation, restlessness, and should I go on or am I getting the idea?" Sakura smiled a smug smile. Itachi gripped the sofa restraining from killing her. She was a vital point and the last strand.

"Yes, you're getting the idea but that is not the issue."

"It is not."

"The issue is Aloysius." Sakura flinched again.

"I really wish you'd stop saying that name." she answered back. Itachi glared at her.

"We need to capture him and you are the strand that connects us to him." Sakura widened her eyes.

"You!" she stood up and pointed a finger at Itachi. _I was tricked! I should have known better then to trust Akatsuki!_ "You tricked me into it! You said you'll give me protection and shelter! Instead what you really wanted was bait!" Itachi didn't say anything. Deidara has been long gone with his coffee cup. "I should have known better then to trust you! Well tough luck! I ain't helping you! I won't ever do it!" Sakura rambled on in a loud voice.

The door to the living room slammed open and a blue shark man stepped in with a large sword. He looked around and opened his mouth to reveal sharp teeth.

"What's all the noise?" he asked lazily. Itachi looked at him bored. "Who's this pink haired brat?" he asked as he walked up and placed his hand on her head. She pushed it away and turned to glare at him. _Kisame!_

"Kisame; Haruno Sakura." Itachi began. "Haruno Sakura; Kisame." Kisame nodded his head and walked around before settling himself into the middle sofa.

"What was the little girl shouting about?" he asked. Itachi didn't say a thing. Instead Sakura stomped her foot and turned back around.

"The _little girl_ was just about to leave!" she shouted.

"You can't go anywhere." Itachi spoke.

"What? Why? I know the way out! You showed it to me yourself!" Kisame began to laugh.

"You are free to venture near the exit but I can assure Akatsuki is not keen to letting visitors walk in and out as they please." Kisame spoke. Sakura clenched her teeth.

"In other words, stay or get killed," she rephrased it.

"Bingo, girly." Kisame laughed. With a huff and a side way glance she sat back down on the sofa.

"Fine, whatever." She spoke. With that settled Itachi stood up and walked to the door. He looked at Sakura who was still sitting down.

"Follow me."

"I'm not your lap dog." Sakura leaned back to look at him. "You may have successfully threatened me to stay but I won't follow you around like a mindless whipped dog." Kisame laughed at her statement she turned to him. He leaned back and gave her a crazed look.

"I suggest you follow him around like a mindless whipped dog. Akatsukis base isn't one of those family houses. We are not bound by rules in here. We do as we like. And some aren't… keen to having you here." Kisame explained. Sakura bit the inside of her bottom lip before getting up and following Itachi out the living room and down a series of hallways. They travelled up two more flights of stairs before stopping at a door. She looked next to the door to find another stair case.

"…" Itachi opened the door. She turned to him.

"I swear, if I didn't know any better I would assume you guys live in a really tall mountain." She commented as she walked in behind him. She looked around. There was a table, a king sized bed, a large bathroom, a walk in closet, and a carpeted floor. Other than those things there was nothing. The room was bare.

"We do." Itachi spoke back. She stopped in her tracks. Turning robotically she stared in disbelief at Itachi.

"Really… huh." She had no words to say for the first time since she met him. Then she watched as Itachi walked to the closet, discarded his cloak onto the foot of the closet and grabbed a pair of black shirt and pants.

"What are we doing in your room?" she asked. Itachi didn't turn to her instead he walked to the bathroom and turned on the light.

"You will stay in here for your stay."

"With you?"

"Yes."

"Great, wonderful. I'm feeling excited already." She exaggerated sarcastically. Itachi snorted before shutting the door and turning the shower on. She sighed and looked around before settling herself on the chair by the desk. She sat on it backwards and placed her head on the back of the chair. Her eyes closed as she listened to the sounds of the water running and slippery noises Itachi's feet are making. Slowly she slipped into a much needed slumber. _When was it that I slept? I can't remember…_

"_NO!" she screamed and all went black as her body lifted itself up and she charged at the man. The man turned to her surprised. With all her might she slammed her body against the man and knocked him over. He dropped the young man's hair and he too fell to the floor. Her sense returned and she picked herself up from the man gingerly and crawled her way to the young man. _

"_Are you ok?" she asked. The young man coughed and sat up. _

"_I'm fine." He took a look at the man sprawled on the floor. Lucky for them, he seemed to have knocked his head on a stone and was out cold. Blood oozed slowly out of his head. "It looks like he's fainted. That wound would most likely kill him." He stated. However she knew better. That wound would do nothing to him. He was immortal. Within a matter of hours he would sprung back up and be at it again. She stood up and grabbed the man by the arm. _

"_Please, we have to get out of here! He's not what you think! He'll be up in a couple hours! We have to get as far away as possible!" she shouted and pulled on his arm. Instantly the young man was up and they were running down the hill. The sounds of rustling grass and the pressure of the air filled her senses. She heard various things from the heaving breathing that came from her and the young man to the animals that scrambled out of their way. Faintly she heard the neigh of a horse. They came to a path and tied to a tree near the path was a horse. The young man released her hand and went to untie the horse. He tugged it over to her. _

"_Please, get on. We'll go faster by horse." He showed her where to put her foot and told her how to lift herself up. As she did so, he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her up along the horse making it easier and faster for her to get on. Once she was settled he flung himself on and grabbed the rein. _

"_Hah!" he gave it a whip and the horse was going. She grabbed onto the wide neck of the horse gently and smiled a small frightened smile. _

"_I haven't ridden a horse for a long time, I even forgot how it feels to ride one!" she shouted over the loud gallops of the horse. She turned to get a good look at the man. His hair was flowing against the wind and his eyes were red but she could swear she saw black in there. His complexion definitely wasn't healthy but she was sure he was in perfect health. He looked at her and smiled the sweetest smile. _

"_Is there something on my face?" he asked. She laughed and shook her head. _

"_No, I just wanted to get a good look that's all. My savior must have a permanent spot in my mind." She looked forward and smiled a big broad smile. _

"_Oh?" he asked. _

"_Yes, I insist. It has always been my policy to remember anyone who does good deeds." She looked at the passing trees. "And you, my savior, have made it to the top of the list." _

"_Aww, you shouldn't have! Saving you was a requirement! I couldn't leave a young princess like you trapped in a time barrier!" he shouted back. She laughed and looked forward. The feeling of happiness for a long time settled in. Then she looked at the horse's neck. _

"_I'm not a princess, just so you know!" she shouted. _

"_Really? Cause your manners are beyond that of a princess." He said. _

"_How flattering." She gave a coy smile. "I really am not. I'm a peasant's daughter. My father and mother were sick from a terminal disease and in a state of desperation I sold myself to that man." _

"_What!" the young man looked shock. _

"_Yeah, I prayed day and night for someone willing to help lowly peasants like us. Suddenly that man appeared and offered me a deal. He said that if I sold myself to him then he'll cure my parents' illness. At first I thought he was just some rich doctor looking for an assistant or a concubine so I said yes. However that wasn't the case. He did heal my parents' illness but he turned out to be something entirely different." Her voice became quiet. _

"_Then he sealed you in that!" The young man finished for her. _

"_Right." She answered back. _

"_Well that guy was a bastard but hey, it's over now." He smiled at her. She looked forward and saw what looked like a town. The man smiled once again. _

"_This is good, we're reaching town. We can hide in there for a while. We need to change your clothes and appearance. He'll recognize you if you're clad in that out dated clothing." She looked down at herself. Then she looked at him. The styles were definitely different. _

"_Right." She whispered again. They trotted into town and found a stable tree to tie the horse to. Then they walked into the market place. The young man grabbed her hand. _

"_There are a lot of people who like to kidnap fragile women like you. So stay close and never let go of my hand." He reassures her; his intentions are pure. They walked past several shops until they came to the one shop that looks creepy and gloomy. _

"_Don't worry, I know the owner of this place. He'll be happy to help." The young man trotted inside and waved happily to a small figure hunched onto the counter. _

"_I'm back, owner!" he shouted. The figure turned and looked at him before scowling. "Hey! Come on! Look! I need your help." The young man leaned against the counter next to where the owner was hunched over. _

"_What did you do this time, Damir?" She looked at Damir. _

"_Your name's Damir?" she asked him. He looked at her stunned then smiled. _

"_Oh right! During all the excitement I forgot to introduce myself." He stuck out a hand. "That's right, the name's Damir! And this is owner! He has a name but he doesn't like telling people." He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "I think its cause it's a really girly name!" _

"_I heard that." Owner spat at him. "And? Who's this lovely lady?" he purred. _

"_This is… errr…" _

"_Morana, my name's Morana." _

"_Death?" Damir gulped. "What kind of name is that?" Morana shrugged. _

"_I don't know, my parents named me. They said it was the first thing that popped into their heads." Damir shrugged it off before turning back to Owner. _

"_I need to get Morana here changed into new clothes and her appearance needs to be altered." _

"_Use the back room. I'm assuming you're on the run?" _

"_Yeah." Damir dragged her down the stairs into a basement and past a door. __**This isn't a back room… this is the basement…**__She thought to herself. Inside there were carts full of clothing hanging on them. Damir searched through them and then passed her a dress with boots. _

"_Here, dress in these, there's a changing room in the back." She nodded and headed to change. She took a look at the dress. It was green with a long ribbon circling the waist area and ending with a bow at the back. The top wasn't low cut but there was a slightly transparent part right above where the chest area is supposed to be. The dress reached down to her ankles. __**Definitely different from my time's style.**__ She pulled it on and fastened the laces on her boots before coming out of the changing room. Damir whistled. _

"_I knew it would look good on you." He smoothed talked. _

"_Thank you." Morana blushed. "Thank you for doing so much for me…" _

Sakura stirred slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Without warning it shook her violently. With a strangled cry she jumped up from the chair and glared with her hazed vision. Standing in front of her was a tall dark haired man. For a while she thought she was still dreaming. Then her vision cleared and it revealed the tall dark haired man to be Itachi.

"What?" she was more than confused.

"I said, if you want to sleep then sleep on the bed. Not the chair." Itachi repeated his words. He didn't sound as strained and mad as he was before. She eyed the bed.

"Where you going to sleep?" she asked.

"It's a king sized bed, Haruno." He stated before flopping down and grabbed a book that wasn't in the room before.

"Uhhh… I can just sleep on the floor." She offered.

"HARUNO." Itachi's voice rose. Frightened for her life she scrambled onto the bed and lay down under the covers. Itachi turned to her and his expression softened. Not really thinking he opened the book he was reading and patted her head before placing his hand on his lap. _Did… Did he just pat my head? What is going on! _Her face flushed. _Why the hell am I blushing?_ She asked herself. Then the dream crashed back into her. Images flickered past and she stole a glance at Itachi. Her breath hitched. The more she looked at him the more he looked like that Damir guy from her dream. _What is wrong with you Haruno Sakura! You are most definitely not dreaming about Uchiha Itachi!_ She shouted at herself.

However as she took another look she couldn't help but see the resemblance. The long dark rich hair, the crimson yet black eyes and the unhealthy complexion; it was all there. His gaze was stoned but she can still see the eyes Damir had in her dreams on him. It would fit. The only thing that didn't fit would be the wonderful smile Damir had. Slowly she wondered what he would look like with a smile like that. Would he be striking? Or would he be ugly? That was one question she was never going to find the answer to. If there was one thing Itachi made clear, that would be he doesn't smile, ever.

"You're not sleeping, Haruno." Itachi stated. She snapped out of her daydream.

"I'm not tired anymore. How long have I been sleeping?" she asked.

"Seven hours."

"It takes you seven hours to shower?" she asked as she noticed the sweet scent of soap and the fact that he was only clad in a pair of black pants. He gave her a calculating look.

"No. I did several other things before waking you." He answered back.

"I see…" then she fingered her hair. It was greasy and hard. The evidence of not showering for days. "Can I…"

"Do as you wish, Haruno. The bath is open." He stopped her. Instantly she was up and went for the bathroom only to be stopped by Itachi getting off the bed and hurrying to the closet. "Haruno, wait." He spoke.

"Hai?" she asked.

"Wear these. Seeing as you didn't bring any clothing, I'll lend you these." He threw her a similar pair of clothing of his. She nodded. "I have taken the liberty to order new clothes for you too. They'll arrive in two days." That got her suspicious. _Uchiha Itachi ordering clothes for me…_

"Why are you so nice?" she asked.

"What?" that caught him off guard.

"I mean.. Uchiha Itachi! The ultimate traitor of Konoha. Killed his entire clan in a night and fled during the same night. You're classified as a stone hearted S class criminal. Why are you being so nice and going so far as to order _new clothing_ for me? Aren't I just bait?" she asked. Itachi sat down on the bed and laughed.

"There are reasons why I do the things I do." He answered. She frowned and leaned against the bathroom doorway.

"And I'm asking for the reason." She retorted.

"… I will tell you when the time is right. All you need to do is trust me on the things I do for and to you." He say.

"Trust you? You do know that's like a farfetched fantasy right? An S class criminal is telling the bait to trust him… ~farfetched fantasy~…" she sung the last part in a silly way.

"Fantasy?" Itachi smirked. "You do know the meaning of fantasy right?" She flushed. _Shit!_ "Like I said, trust me… after all it's a fantasy, it can't be that hard. Now can it?" he was playing her. She flushed a deep red before rushing into the bathroom and shutting the door. In a hurry she turned on the lights and ran the hot water. She stripped and stepped in. All the while her face got redder and redder.

_Did he just flirt with me! What is the world coming to! _

She rinsed the dirt and sweat off her skin with extra hard rubs. The water by her feet turned brown and she looked down in disgust. Once her skin was back to being shiny and clean she grabbed the shampoo and squeezed out a large amount before latching it onto her head. Not wasting any more time with greasy hair she ran her finger nails over her scalp and watched as the water by her feet showed the oil she was washing out. She felt as she rinse her hair how it was returning to its previous silky healthy state. Once she was done shampooing she applied the conditioner and noticed how it coated her skin like a second skin once she was washing it out of her hair.

When she was done and happy about how clean she was she turned off the shower and stepped out to find a giant white fluffy towel was perched onto the counter top. Her face looked horrified. She turned to the door to find it unlocked. _I forgot to lock the door!_ She thought in horror. Quickly she scanned the large bathroom for any sign of the man. To her relief he didn't stay. Reassured she grabbed the giant fluffy towel and pressed it against her body. It felt so nice and soft. She hummed a soft tune as she wrapped it against her body and used a fire jutsu to blow dry her hair.

Sakura stared back at herself in the mirror. There was nothing different about herself. Bored with her own reflection (that's a first) she turned to the background. The bathroom was quite large. The toilet was about a foot away from the sink where she was standing. The sink even has a large counter top that covers one wall with a giant mirror behind it. The shower itself was humongous. _Too bad he doesn't have a bath tub… Well… I guess Uchiha Itachi doesn't take baths._ She giggled softly at that thought.

Pulling on the last piece of garment Sakura opened the door and stepped outside. She placed the towel on the hook on the door and looked around. Itachi was on the bed asleep. He lied above the covers with one leg arched up and his right arm on his stomach. His expression was peaceful. Unable to help herself she tiptoed up to him and knelt down next to his face. A small smile appeared on her face. _He didn't notice me… he must be tired…_ Then it dawned on her. He probably wasn't able to relax much. It made her feel slightly happy that he trusts her enough to sleep so peacefully.

She watched as his chest lifted up and down in sync with his breathing. His peaceful expression stayed peaceful even after she lifted herself up slightly to look at his face closely. She lowered herself back down and rested her head against his bedside on her arms. A small smile played at her lips as she wondered what he's dreaming and if it was a good one. She hopes it's a good one. For some reason she doesn't like the idea of a bad dream for Itachi. She's getting the feeling that even Uchiha Itachi deserves peace once in a while and if it means he can get it when she's around then she'll stick around a little longer. Suddenly the feeling of having to stay here for a long time is no longer a bother in fact she wishes that he won't let her go and she'll have to stay forever. _That's a foolish dream, Sakura. Itachi will get rid of you when all this is over… until then… I'll give him as many peaceful nights as possible. _

Ghosting a finger along his cheek bone she giggled softly before getting up. She travelled to the other side and flipped the blanket over onto his body trying to cover him up. To her surprise there's another sheet of blanket under the first one. _Such convenience._ Without a second thought she checked him over to make sure he was covered before slipping into the second blanket and turned onto her side to look at him.

"Sweet dreams, Itachi." She whispered before closing her eyes and falling back into a deep slumber.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading Understand Me's chapter 2! I'll upload as soon as I got chapter 3 settled.

See you all soon! ^_^


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